reticulated earrings

Friday, April 20, 2012

I spent tax-day weekend
supporting Gina in her run of the Boston Marathon. Seeing her determination and the shear grit
on the faces of the thousands of participants in it with her does something to
one’s timid ego. It helps to put things
into perspective. Can an honest person
really hold up the fear of uncertainty next to a legless man who pushes himself
26.2 miles, in a wheelchair, in miserably blistering heat, in world record
time, with no power other than what’s in his heart and his arms? (Granted, his forearms are bigger than my
thighs, but still.) If so, how do you
live with yourself?

I
ask this question because for the last 3 weeks, I have been “transitioning”
from being an employed municipal drone to being self-employed and
semi-retired. By “transitioning”, I mean
I have been doing pretty much nothing.
What am I waiting for? Really?I
have taken steps all year, determined to go forward with this hair-brained
scheme, but now, with its reality staring me in the face, I have found myself
“legless”, paralyzed with fear of you-name-it.
Loading a saw frame, picking the right grade of sandpaper, soldering,
opening the studio door………… right, just about everything. I even found myself in the enviable position
of getting a coveted spot in a metal texturing class, which I almost gave up,
thinking that I was cheating someone else who was more deserving of the spot
than I! So I’ve had to ask myself: What would Joshua Cassidy do?

I
think we all know the answer to that question.

Let's get building. In the weeks to
come, please open the door and check on me.
I’ll be in the studio becoming a working metal smith, full-time and
self-employed. I’ll be getting the Etsy
shop running (no pun intended), building an inventory to share with you, and
conquering all of my fears! (except that pesky fear of mops & dust rags…)

I
can’t do any of this without your support and I am so grateful you’re here!

Gallery Door

Who, Me?

Still workin' on it...

I was born in Colorado, "grown" on a dairy farm in New York, and woke up one morning some years ago to find myself in Texas. You should see my boot collection! Having forsaken the Lone Star state most recently, I am calling the forested hills of Northeastern California home now.

Maggie's Meltdown is the metal work business I started after "retiring" from a full time job in pursuit of the mythical freedom of self-employment. Hopefully, this blog will offer a humorous chronicle on making that business fly, meltdowns and all!

My Etsy shop is up and running, behind the Etsy Door on the right. Pics of metal work are posted here as well, behind the Gallery Door. AND you can find me on Facebook. Yes!, click on the Facebook Door to link there. (I know, I know, I've thought of everything!) You can also click on the pictures of new work and go right to the Etsy shop! No kidding!

Thanks for checking in! Hope to see you soon (and make sure you're wearing a Maggie's original in case I do)!